Why is it that every game we come out slow? Against good teams, we dig ourselves into a hole and can't dig our way out of it. We need to change our pregame ritual. Get some damn music or something in that locker room!
As a Pope apologist, he has to have us coming out more pumped
- Thread starter wrcaud22
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Pope’s pre-game talk must be too “analytical” and not fiery enough. Players do not seem focused in early game action. This needs to change.
That locker room needs introduced to some Metallica.
I miss the Pitino teams so much for that very reason. They always came out of the gate ready to kick your ***. Even if shots weren’t falling, they were gonna force you into a million turnovers and transition you to death. They started every game knowing they were KENTUCKY, and you weren’t. Miss that attitude and swagger so much. Outside of 2012 and 2015, Cal teams never really had it either.
Can’t say this about the cards and Michigan state game. We had leads in both of those game at the 12:00 mark of the first half. Both times however from there we gave up huge runs to get behind double digits.
something about this team just isn’t doing it for me. I really think they are going to struggle to win big games. Just don’t think we have enough shooters to put on the floor. Hopefully it comes together but until I see it I still think we are a bubble team come March.
something about this team just isn’t doing it for me. I really think they are going to struggle to win big games. Just don’t think we have enough shooters to put on the floor. Hopefully it comes together but until I see it I still think we are a bubble team come March.
Yeah, I don’t know for sure whether the flaw is motivation, gameplan, or something else, but it would be nice if we could be better in the first half of games. Even some of our big wins last year involved fairly substantial second half comebacks, and as fun as those were, it’s not a reliable way to win big games. Good teams will finish the job way more often than not if you spot them a double digit lead.
Yes, I'm starting to question whether Pope really does understand the "assignment". We had all hoped he'd bring the 90s Pitino fire, start to finish, but that's been literally non-existent except launching threes. The "full court press" is token lazy like Cal's - nothing like Pitino's 90s smothering.
It's early yet, but my initial concern is that he's going to go through sophomore pains before hitting a crossroad in the SEC - get a little more tougher and "meaner" (without being an ***) to get more out his players, or stay BYU-soft and gentle and see himself out the door in less than 5 years.
We've seen plenty of threads here opining on whether Pope is too soft for UK and the SEC, and both of his teams so far reflect that softness, particularly in the first half.
I remember watching the 96 team in the tunnels before games, all gathered together, rocking back and forth chanting who’s in the house tonight and others answering UK!!!!! He needs to get these guys on that page.
Pretty sure that that was the only time that Pitino teams did that. Since he left UK, he has never had teams that played like that. I believe that it was lightning in a bottle...no one has teams that played like that.
This. Would be interesting to look at the subs that came in around then.
The main flaw is the lack of talent. I would think that part is pretty obvious. Outside of that they don’t defend or rebound very well. That’s kind of an issue when you don’t have the most talent on the floor.
Why would you expect that? He’d been a head coach for 10 yrs. Not one of his teams came anywhere close to playing like that.
There was a clip last year showing him and Bruce Pearl before the game. Maybe someone can post it. He's just so calm in the locker room.
Pope looking too much like Cal.....players too soft and don't play defense. A bigger issue is that Pope promises all of the right things with cheap talk, but has yet to back it up with performance even with a $22 million budget.
Have to admit part of why we wanted this was to have that Pitino era fire and I don’t see it at all. Anyone part of the pitino tree should be the opposite of this. Mark is too much into the new age psychology in sports era. At some point you have to throw that out and motivate naturally. Pitino would tear you down and then rebuild you. Calipari during his Memphis / early Kentucky years did the same. I saw Calipari tear Antonio Anderson down to a crying baby then turn him into one of the best defenders I’ve ever seen, in person. I realize these kids today are soft but listen at some point you’ve got to make a man out there. Not trying to go Gillispie / Crawford exactly but you’ve got to get some fire.
I see Pope adjusting more than any coach I can remember. He’s tinkering which is good, but this one aspect needs to be addressed. I agree 100%.
Get in Oweh’s face and light his asss up. Quit being a puss and finish your plate, lead the team. Light him up he needs it.
It is a bit.........odd lol.
And I mean I can understand coming out flat vs Tenn Tech. I mean who the hell gets excited for that lol.
But UL and MSU digging holes.
Same crap happened last season too.
And I mean I can understand coming out flat vs Tenn Tech. I mean who the hell gets excited for that lol.
But UL and MSU digging holes.
Same crap happened last season too.
Our issue isn’t getting up for games. The issue is guys get selfish and the ball gets stuck. When it does, teams go on runs. Anytime Jasper, Jelavic, & Garrison came into the game together, the ball would stop and shots are flying. Watch and see how many times the ball was pounded compared to passed. Sometimes Aberdeen gets into that shoot first mindset and it stalls the starters out, but he’s doing better along with Jasper about facilitating.
This x 1000.
Pope was brought here to run this fluid offense, with constant motion, crisp passing, back cuts, etc. We will go MULTIPLE straight possessions with one guy going one-on-one while everyone stands around the 3P line. Pope just stands and watches. That just can't happen.
I'm not sure I buy that. I mean how is that different from pro sports where they are all getting millions of dollars yet most players you'd have to assume would still want to compete and win titles.
I think the money is affecting the fans thoughts more than the players IMO. Now fans are seeing the 22 million and expecting we should be better. Maybe we just didn't allocate those funds properly and spent them on players that maybe should not be getting that high of an amount. I just don't understand why people expect different results now just cause dudes are getting paid. Players are what they are.
For me it seems early we fall in love with sub average three's, and our ball movement stops. The offense looks much better when they move the ball side to side and in to the post.
Did you not see the shift in pro sports when these guys started making this kind of money? This idea that nothing matters and it’s all just “back in my day” thinking is nonsense. It’s an excuse to excuse trash behavior and act like it’s always been that way. It hasn’t.
I’ll take a guy like Kobe Bryant and what he thinks about it over people who just want to pretend nothing changes it’s all perception. He said many times the eras are not the same and the players when he started were harder and tougher. Your eyes should easily tell you it’s different. I played college sports and these guys are not the same as we were even 20 years ago. This isn’t a get off my lawn situation. It’s real.
My son’s age can’t handle the slightest comment that’s not “good boy”. They shrivel up and wilt. People aren’t making this up, I lived both and I am living both and it’s ridiculous how soft this generation is.
Watch the MLB when they had to carry second jobs, listen to those men versus this era NBA player. These guys are straight up pusses today I’m sorry. And giving them all of this money is making the game worse. All you have to do is pay attention and stop excusing it as generational nonsense.
Which is why Pope needs to bring that sh*t back. No one does, so why not be that someone again. If it requires god-awful denim uniforms, then so be it!
I think for the most part players regardless of money still want to be the very best at what they do and they want to win.
I'm just not buying this whole "my generation was tougher" argument. And I'm very much a part of that older generation these days lol.
My dad used to say it to me all the time when I was little complaring his generation to mine. And now we are doing it to the younger generation. Everyone in the older generation thinks they were "tougher". No sorry. Just don't buy it.
Effort is based on the person, not the generation. You either work hard or you don't. I think generalizing and putting people into categories just isn't right.
Especially in college. These guys might be getting paid but they haven't reached their ultimate payday yet. Most of these high paying NIL guys have dreams and aspriations of someday playing in the NBA and making 100 times more than the NIL money. So I just don't buy this fact.
It’s simple if you think this generation is no different than others before them you’re in a dream world. It absolutely is, it’s even far more different than it was 10 years ago. Our grandparents, the greats, the men were doing things at 13 that these guys, as a whole, cannot do at 23. I work with kids, I coach kids, I was an athlete who was coached by those generations. We absolutely cannot treat them the way we were treated. They are as soft as you’ll ever find for the most part. So giving them a lot of money isn’t helping.
All I cans is if you think it’s basically the same as it always was and every generation is the same for the most part you’re living in a dream world that doesn’t exist. It’s as simple as that.
Hell not to mention in the early 2000’s we were still on football fields in 110 degree heat. These kids won’t go out past 95 lol. They are softer and they’ve been raised softer. Illegal tackles today were called “perfect hits” back then. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Living in the past post. These kids are paid to win, , not play. Players are weak in mind and body now.
Watch Bucky ball at Tex A & M. Formerly Samford coach. Closest I’ve seen to the press Pitino used to run. Pretty fun to watch
Why is not having a true point guard so hard for people to understand. Every good team has a really good one. We don't. Until we do we will never be better than average. To be good in the college game, the point is everything.
